Narrative:

Female passenger suspected of stealing money and credit cards from flight attendant #4's wallet. Wallet taken from pocket in tote bag and thrown on floor in row in front of suspected passenger. She bolted to front of aircraft at realization that wallet had been gone through. Captain was alerted. The woman was detained as she walked up jetbridge. Woman ran in terminal bathroom and started flushing. Police were called. However, by the time they arrived, searched woman in bathroom, no credit cards found and cash not identifiable. Same woman also suspected of smoking in aft lavatory early in flight. Also, no witnesses. Just as with theft, no actual witnesses to theft. Passenger's bags on seats, at rear of aircraft. This was a half-full, evening flight. She was a dark woman who sat in row in front of flight attendant's bag. Initiated conversation with flight attendant -- cutesy, friendly. After smoking incident, I warned passenger I suspected her, and we did not leave her alone in back. However, during service and safety checks prior to landing, she did have time -- especially being fairly alone at back and darkness of aircraft. Wallet was not out and visible. It was in compartment in bag, on seat. We were also dealing with 2 other very nasty irate passenger who caused a ruckus. So we were distraction by them on the flight attendant calls.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX ON A SUPER MD80 SMOKES IN LAVATORY AND STEALS WALLET FROM A CABIN ATTENDANT.

Narrative: FEMALE PAX SUSPECTED OF STEALING MONEY AND CREDIT CARDS FROM FLT ATTENDANT #4'S WALLET. WALLET TAKEN FROM POCKET IN TOTE BAG AND THROWN ON FLOOR IN ROW IN FRONT OF SUSPECTED PAX. SHE BOLTED TO FRONT OF ACFT AT REALIZATION THAT WALLET HAD BEEN GONE THROUGH. CAPT WAS ALERTED. THE WOMAN WAS DETAINED AS SHE WALKED UP JETBRIDGE. WOMAN RAN IN TERMINAL BATHROOM AND STARTED FLUSHING. POLICE WERE CALLED. HOWEVER, BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED, SEARCHED WOMAN IN BATHROOM, NO CREDIT CARDS FOUND AND CASH NOT IDENTIFIABLE. SAME WOMAN ALSO SUSPECTED OF SMOKING IN AFT LAVATORY EARLY IN FLT. ALSO, NO WITNESSES. JUST AS WITH THEFT, NO ACTUAL WITNESSES TO THEFT. PAX'S BAGS ON SEATS, AT REAR OF ACFT. THIS WAS A HALF-FULL, EVENING FLT. SHE WAS A DARK WOMAN WHO SAT IN ROW IN FRONT OF FLT ATTENDANT'S BAG. INITIATED CONVERSATION WITH FLT ATTENDANT -- CUTESY, FRIENDLY. AFTER SMOKING INCIDENT, I WARNED PAX I SUSPECTED HER, AND WE DID NOT LEAVE HER ALONE IN BACK. HOWEVER, DURING SVC AND SAFETY CHKS PRIOR TO LNDG, SHE DID HAVE TIME -- ESPECIALLY BEING FAIRLY ALONE AT BACK AND DARKNESS OF ACFT. WALLET WAS NOT OUT AND VISIBLE. IT WAS IN COMPARTMENT IN BAG, ON SEAT. WE WERE ALSO DEALING WITH 2 OTHER VERY NASTY IRATE PAX WHO CAUSED A RUCKUS. SO WE WERE DISTR BY THEM ON THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.